Phone pairing problem

[Phoenixboy]

Hi John
Apologies if I've not grasped the issue or what you've tried
I have an old iPod under the arm rest connected with a Y cable (aux and USB)
Just tried it with my iPhone 6s and it works perfectly - steering wheel controls change track/volume
I haven't got iDrive so phone is only paired for calls

2010 doesn’t have the usb in the glove box. 3.5mm only. OP has the snap in adapter though but I don’t think he can get it to play music controlled by the cars controls.
Did I get that right?

sorry to jump in on this one as I am a techno dinosaur who listens to the radio and cd in my e89, but am I right in saying if I get my daughter to put music on a usb stick and plug it in under the armrest it will play through my radio?

Two things here the post mentions arm rest USB and all E89s have that along with the 3.5mm jack point for which you need the Y-Cable if using the iPhone for music. You can however upload music onto a USB and then use this for music using the USB in the arm rest.

On the topic of the USB in the glove box, actually this was an option so some cars do have it but is used for uploading data to the built in hard drive to which you could upload your music collection and play from there. There is no other 3.5mm jack apart from in the arm rest.

So the issue here isn’t that the phone is not pairing I.e. via Bluetooth as the phone is paired to the car for calls, it’s that music isn’t being played. I assume on the idrive under media the phone name is not listed? If not then I’d probably look at trying a different Y-Cable incase your one has developed a fault. Maybe try with someone else? If you were closer I would have loaned you mines as I know that was working (with a apple adapter for the 8) when I used it last month.

 

[Angie4m]

sorry to jump in on this one as I am a techno dinosaur who listens to the radio and cd in my e89, but am I right in saying if I get my daughter to put music on a usb stick and plug it in under the armrest it will play through my radio?

No need to apologise. Yes indeed that is exactly what you can do.

You’ll find more information on page 162 of the handbook.

 

[Tinker15]

“Two things here the post mentions arm rest USB and all E89s have that along with the 3.5mm jack point for which you need the Y-Cable if using the iPhone for music. You can however upload music onto a USB and then use this for music using the USB in the arm rest.

On the topic of the USB in the glove box, actually this was an option so some cars do have it but is used for uploading data to the built in hard drive to which you could upload your music collection and play from there. There is no other 3.5mm jack apart from in the arm rest. ”

My early 2010 has no USB in the armrest only the 3.5mm jack. I’ve paired my iPhone 8 via Bluetooth but as I expected you can’t play music using this method. It has transferred over my contacts to the iDrive system. The iPhone 8 has no headphone jack so I use a Lightning to 3.5mm cable to play music. You can control the volume through the steering wheel controls.

My car has a USB point in the glove box but it isn’t exactly easy to find. If some e89s don’t have a USB point how do they upgrade the sat nav maps?

 

[Zed Baron]

“Two things here the post mentions arm rest USB and all E89s have that along with the 3.5mm jack point for which you need the Y-Cable if using the iPhone for music. You can however upload music onto a USB and then use this for music using the USB in the arm rest.

On the topic of the USB in the glove box, actually this was an option so some cars do have it but is used for uploading data to the built in hard drive to which you could upload your music collection and play from there. There is no other 3.5mm jack apart from in the arm rest. ”

My early 2010 has no USB in the armrest only the 3.5mm jack. I’ve paired my iPhone 8 via Bluetooth but as I expected you can’t play music using this method. It has transferred over my contacts to the iDrive system. The iPhone 8 has no headphone jack so I use a Lightning to 3.5mm cable to play music. You can control the volume through the steering wheel controls.

My car has a USB point in the glove box but it isn’t exactly easy to find. If some e89s don’t have a USB point how do they upgrade the sat nav maps?

Ive been out to the garage and had a look at mine and its exactly the same, except its got a BMW USB adaptor in the power socket (only supplies power no data transfer). I don't know if this is the case for the newer cars, thats why I had to get the Y-cable with the extra aux lead

 

[Phoenixboy]

“Two things here the post mentions arm rest USB and all E89s have that along with the 3.5mm jack point for which you need the Y-Cable if using the iPhone for music. You can however upload music onto a USB and then use this for music using the USB in the arm rest.

On the topic of the USB in the glove box, actually this was an option so some cars do have it but is used for uploading data to the built in hard drive to which you could upload your music collection and play from there. There is no other 3.5mm jack apart from in the arm rest. ”

My early 2010 has no USB in the armrest only the 3.5mm jack. I’ve paired my iPhone 8 via Bluetooth but as I expected you can’t play music using this method. It has transferred over my contacts to the iDrive system. The iPhone 8 has no headphone jack so I use a Lightning to 3.5mm cable to play music. You can control the volume through the steering wheel controls.



My car has a USB point in the glove box but it isn’t exactly easy to find. If some e89s don’t have a USB point how do they upgrade the sat nav maps?

Ive been out to the garage and had a look at mine and its exactly the same, except its got a BMW USB adaptor in the power socket (only supplies power no data transfer). I don't know if this is the case for the newer cars, thats why I had to get the Y-cable with the extra aux lead
[/quote
so the usb under the armrest is only for charging and will not transfer music from usb stick?
if that's the case,as much use as a chocolate teapot.

 

[Tinker15]

My early 2010 has no USB in the armrest only the 3.5mm jack. I’ve paired my iPhone 8 via Bluetooth but as I expected you can’t play music using this method. It has transferred over my contacts to the iDrive system. The iPhone 8 has no headphone jack so I use a Lightning to 3.5mm cable to play music. You can control the volume through the steering wheel controls.

My car has a USB point in the glove box but it isn’t exactly easy to find. If some e89s don’t have a USB point how do they upgrade the sat nav maps?

Ive been out to the garage and had a look at mine and its exactly the same, except its got a BMW USB adaptor in the power socket (only supplies power no data transfer). I don't know if this is the case for the newer cars, thats why I had to get the Y-cable with the extra aux lead

Yup. The USB adaptor in the power socket is purely for charging it has no other function. If you have one of the newer iPhones without the headphone socket then you need something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Luvfun-Adapter-Charging-Headphone-Adapter-White-1-White/dp/B07J57W8PK if you want to listen to music and charge your phone at the same time.

 

[Tinker15]

@Phoenixboy

[/quote
so the usb under the armrest is only for charging and will not transfer music from usb stick?
if that's the case,as much use as a chocolate teapot.
[/quote]

There is the proper USB input next to the Aux socket is this the one you mean?

 

[john-e89]

Many thanks for all the replies folks..

My car has both USB and Aux in jack under the armrest, I’m currently using a 3.5mm lead which plays music but I can’t use the steering wheel controls as Tinker quite rightly says for track skipping. I’m still at a loss as to why the BMW OEM docking station which IS charging the phone won’t play music, I didn’t have any bother with the last E89. The idrive screen says iPhone paired for calls but if you switch to media and external devices it says NOT SUPPORTED..... :scratchhead: At the moment I’ve no service as I’ve ended my contract with Vodafone and now waiting for the new O2 one to kick in but this shouldn’t make any difference as all the info and music etc has been transferred over to the new iPhone 5SE, and indeed plays through the Aux lead.

I can’t figure out why the idrive is saying not supported... :idunno:

 

[Loxford]

HI,
I note your using an iphone 6.
I'm not concerned with playing music so much as using the my iphone 6 for calls.

I've paired it. It receives calls.
I can make calls only by tapping in the number on the radio functions. Not advisable and so fiddly, I'd need to stop the car.
It appears to have only transferred the first number from my phone's contacts during pairing.

I've a 2011 model, not officially compatible I know, but have you found a way of getting the contacts transferred to the car system?
Getting it to work properly?

Many thx

Regards

G